Inaugurated exactly 10 years ago, with great pomp under the Veltroni administration, the Fiera di Roma was cost 400 million euros and the intention was to bring an induced activity of over one billion to the territory. Today, what looks like a cathedral in the desert between Rome-Fiumicino and Portuense has turned out to be yet another unsuccessful investment in the capital: not only has it not taken off, but it is also in danger of failing.
The owner of the structure in via Portuense, Spa investments, has convened a meeting of its shareholders for Thursday, mainly the Municipality, the Chamber of Commerce and the Region, to decide whether to sell the new Fair or repay the debt with the disposal of the old structure in via Colombo, another big question mark in the capital. On 25 May the creditors will have to express themselves on the repayment plan for the 30 million euro debt still held by Fiera srl (but the debt with Unicredit amounts to almost 180 million euro), but there is no money and Investimenti will ask the shareholders to sell the old fair on Colombo by May 20 in order to be able to receive at least a 10 million fund from Unicredit to at least pay off the creditors.
The alternative is the failure of the Fair. But the resolution, in the absence of a mayor, is still standing in the Municipality waiting to be transmitted to the Region, which must start its process and bring the resolution into the junta. The supplier companies risk bankruptcy and the new Fair is heading towards bankruptcy and therefore the sale, so much so already ready some purchase offers from a Belgian company, Photonike, which offers 100 million, or by the Chinese who offer a long-term service contract.
